What is Critical Craft Forum?

Critical Craft Forum offers real time conversations about critical issues of interest to the field. Anyone can participate and shape the conversation. We are energized by over 11,300 participating members today—and add new members daily -- from places across the globe.

People like you make CCF into a platform for dialogue, discussion, and debate.

College Art Association: See programs tab for current call for proposals and upcoming presentations.CCF has been invited to create a day of programs at CAA 2018 in Los Angeles (9th Annual CCF Session at CAA!) Update soon for CAA 2019!

Gender and Adornment, an ongoing research project with Benjamin Lignel and Namita Wiggers

BACKGROUND

In 2008, Namita Gupta Wiggers and Elisabeth Agro started Critical Craft Forum out of a desire for a place to talk with people across the craft community. From this emerged a Facebook group (2010) annual sessions at College Art Association (since 2010), and a twitter feed (2013).

MANY thanks to everyone who contributed to raise funds for podcasts, blog posts, and a new publication in 2017! (Full list on the donate link).

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DEC 2016

Welcome to Critical Craft Forum!

This letter is here temporarily as we work to raise funds to support CCF.

Please scroll down to learn more.

Critical Craft Forum has grown from a handful of followers to over 9000 in the past few years. Unlike most Facebook groups, this one continues to grow and expand, thanks to people like you who participate on and offline. Always exciting to work against a trend!!

Let me be direct. I am asking for your help.

Would you consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support Critical Craft Forum?

Every amount adds up. Many donations in the amount of a special coffee accumulate to a good amount.

You might even consider a monthly donation of a small amount. For example, $5 a month becomes $60 a year, or $10 a month grows to $120 a year. If every member on CCF donated something, the cumulative impact would be outstanding.

Fractured Atlas is the fiscal sponsor for CCF; one time or monthly donations are easy via this link:

Consider these questions for a moment. What does Critical Craft Forum do for you? How do the conversations support and expand your work in the field? Do you use it in teaching? research? connecting with artists? Hearing what the impact of CCF is to you, the field, the future of craft -- this is my second ask in this note. I invite you to share that online on the Facebook Group. Support in both ways -- advocacy and financial -- would be incredible help in taking Critical Craft Forum into the next phase. Helping people understand how Critical Craft Forum will help people understand why they participate, and how their support can be put to use.

In addition to running the Facebook Group as a moderated blog, last month marked the launch of a podcast series and website blog (www.criticalcraftforum.com). I'd like very much to continue to offer twice monthly (alternate between the two). Each podcast runs about $500 when you factor in web hosting and basic production costs. To save money, I am doing the preliminary editing, then passing on to the sound producer for final prep. Paying out of pocket is not sustainable in the long run, and I write today to ask you to consider making a donation to support Critical Craft Forum.

Thanks to fiscal sponsorship from Fractured Atlas, CCF was awarded a grant from the Windgate Foundation to pay contributors to Companion on Contemporary Craft, a book I am editing for Wiley Blackwell. Those of you in academia know that being paid for academic writing is a rarity. Supporting work in our field -- all kinds from making to writing to editing to teaching to coordinating groups -- is vital at this moment. Back in 2013, a grant from The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design helped launch the website and help CCF grow.

I am happy to answer any questions you have -- and always welcome project ideas to expand the dialogue! It is truly thanks to the grant several years ago from CCCD that Critical Craft Forum could grow into the forum it is today.

Many, many thanks for considering supporting CCF. Your participation online helps make it a platform for exchange -- and will help expand the conversation in new ways.